A variety of surgical procedures require providing surgical access to an internal body cavity and/or joint of a patient through portals created by the insertion of a rigid cannula and obturator into an intended pathway through the patient's tissue. This access allows surgeons to pass instruments through the portals and to operate on the internal body cavity or joint of the patient using these instruments. As an example, in arthroscopic surgical procedures, a surgeon may pass a variety of elongated instruments through a cannula to access an internal body cavity, such as a knee or shoulder joint, to perform an operation. Flexible cannulas may offer some advantages in terms of tissue holding ability but can be more difficult to insert. Currently, a common insertion method for placing a cannula into an intended pathway through tissue of a patient involves positioning the cannula perpendicularly to the intended pathway and then folding the cannula into the pathway, commonly by using a curved clamp.
This approach to insertion can be cumbersome. For example, the method may cause trauma and/or damage to the tissue around the portal as the cannula is folded and turned into the pathway. This tearing of the surrounding tissue can enlarge the portal.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved methods, systems, and devices for use in surgery requiring the use of flexible cannulas.